The teaching of English as a foreign language is now, in many places, expanding into primary (elementary) school settings

Methods of teaching speaking

2. 
   The Direct Method
   

One of the important methods of teaching speaking is the Direct Method. To use this method, teacher should think of what the stages of learning are.

There are three stages of learning:

1. 
   Receiving knowledge.
   
2. 
   Fixing it in the memory by repetition.
   
3. 
   Using the knowledge by real practice.
   

Thus, when the teacher says «This is a red book,» «This is my table,» the pupil is receiving knowledge. When the pupil on many occasions answers the questions: «What's this?» «What colour is it?' «Whose table is this?» he is fixing the knowledge in his memory. But when in the ordinary course of duty he is told to «Bring me the red book on my table,» and brings it, he is using the knowledge.
Now the giving and fixing of knowledge is the work of the teacher in the ordinary course of the lessons. The using of the knowledge as a rule takes place not in the course of the lessons but in the ordinary course of the day's work.
So the teacher's first and chief business is to give knowledge and fix it in the pupil's memory. He therefore

1. 
   Makes statements (e.g. gives knowledge).
   
2. 
   Asks questions (e.g. fixes knowledge by practice).
   

A learner obviously cannot give what he has not previously received. If you point to an object and say «What's that?» the learner who has not previously been told what the object is will be unable to answer..
These may be questions beginning with what, who, where, which, how many, or questions beginning with is this, are you, do you, have you, etc.
Sooner or later however you must come to use the equally natural indirect questioning. For instance instead of saying to someone, «What is that?» we often say, «Tell me what that is?» or I want to know what that is.» Or instead of saying «Is this the right way?» we often say, «Tell me whether this is the right way» or «Can you tell me whether this is the right way?» or «I want to know whether this is the right way»
Again we rarely use such forms as «Say to him, 'What is that?'» or Say this to him, 'Where are you going?'» We prefer the shorter and more natural forms: «Ask him what that is» or «Ask him where he is going.»
So quite early in the course of lessons the teacher should sometimes replace direct by indirect questions. The following are samples of direct questions and some of the indirect questions corresponding to them.
Direct Questions Indirect Questions
What's this? Tell me
Who's that? Please (Just, Now) tell me
Which one's that? I want to know
What's it like? I want you to tell me
What are you doing? Can you tell me
Where's he going? Do you think you can tell me
How many are there? where he's going.
Is this a stone? how many there are.
Are they ready? what this is
Is he here?
Can you do it?
Does he often come here?
Did you see him?
Another very good way to use indirect questions is for the teacher to tell one of the pupils to ask questions of other pupils. This makes a useful and lively form of drill-work. For instance:
Teacher (to X). X, ask Y what this is.
X (to Y). Y, what is this?

• 
  (to X). It's a stone (button, etc.).
  

Teacher (to X). X, ask Y where his belt is.
X (to Y). Y, where's your belt?

• 
  (to X). It's here.
  

Teacher (to X). X, ask Y how many trees he can see?
X (to Y). Y, how many trees can you see?
Y (to X). I can see three.
I can't see any.
The above answers may be repeated to the teacher by X;
X (to Teacher). Y says «This is a stone» (etc.), or Y says that this is a stone (etc.).
Similar to this teaching device is the one in which the teacher tells one of his pupils to tell another of the pupils something:
Teacher (to X). X, tell Y what this is.
X (to Y). Y, this is a piece of wood.
Teacher (to X). X, tell Y where I am.
X (to Y). Y, the teacher is there (pointing).
Teacher (to X). X, tell Y what Z is doing.
X (to Y). Y, Z is sitting down.
Or the device can be used for commands at secondhand:
Teacher (to X). X, tell Y to come to me.
X (to Y). Y, go to the teacher.
Teacher (to X) X, ask Y to give you a match.
X (to Y). Y, give me a match please. Thank you.
Teacher (to X). X, ask Y what he is doing.
X (to Y). Y, what are you doing?
Y (to X). I'm standing up.
While the devices explained above may be used at a very early stage, the teacher should of course use only words and forms that are familiar to his pupils. He should obviously not say to X «Ask Y to give you a match» before the lesson on giving things has been learnt. If the teacher says to X «Ask Y how many trees he can see» before the lessons that introduce how many or can or see, Y will not understand what the teacher is saying to him, far less be able to carry out the command. In other terms, each use of indirect questioning, telling or commanding must correspond to the actual lesson that is being given.
There are more approaches, e.g. the topic approach, which can be useful for teaching speaking (17).

2.